in 



INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 

 The Work of the Geological Survey of Canada. 



(K. W. Ells, LL.D.) 



f Pelivered December ryth, i8gi.) 



.Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, — In attempting to prepare 

 the opening lecture of the course for the present season, I have been 

 CO siderably exercised as to what subject would be of most interest to 

 the memb^-rs of the Club. It has, liowever, been suggested to n;e that 

 to those of us who live in this city, where the Geological Survey has its 

 location, as well as to many of our members abroad, sor.ie facts relative 

 to the work of such a department, as annually carried out, might be of 

 interest. Very often it has been asked : What is the work of the 

 Geological Survey? What does its staff find to do year after year, and 

 what great purpose does it serve in the country's progress and welfare ? 

 To discuss this subject fully would require a very long chapter, but I hope 

 to be able to lay before you a few ideas regarding the general character of 

 this work that may to some extent at least be an answer to the ques- 

 tions propounded. 



In the o])tn ng paper which I had the honour o'. giving before tliis 

 Club two years ago, I reviewed very briefly the subject of geological 

 progress in Can:ida tor the fifty years subsequent to the first recognized 

 work done in this country in connection with that branch of science. 

 In this, the work was divided into three periods, viz: ist, that prior 

 to the esta' lis! ment of the Geological Survey; 2nd, that under the 

 direction of the late Sir William Logan, and 3rd, that subsequent to his 

 retiremciu , liic latter of which could not, owing to lack of time, be 

 then considered. 



The confederation of the Lower Provinces with Ontario and Que- 

 bec in 1867 very greatly extended the field of the Survey's labours, and 

 changed, very materially, the then existing arrangements of the staff 

 and methods of operation. It brought into the work of the Depart- 

 ment the study of the geology of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia ; 

 and this was sjjeedily followed by the extension of this work into British 

 Columbia and the great Northwest; thus furnishing a field for geologi- 

 cal exploration of liie most magnificent dimensions, comprising an area 



